Posts Tagged ‘Ishant Sharma’

Why have Yuvraj Singh and Ishant Sharma been selected?

Some of the selections to the Indian Team announced for the Test series in Sri Lanka have left Suneer Chowdhary aghast. But what is enraging him more than the inxeplicable selections is the stout refusal by chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth to explain the inexplicable…

Kiran More had often been lambasted in the media during his tenure as the selector of the Indian side. Dilip Vengsarkar was expected to do more for Indian cricket, but his tenure was marred by controversies and what can easily be defined as some rash decisions taken in the name of looking at the future of Indian cricket.

When did he learn to be quiet?

Krish Srikkanth and his men have probably not been too different either, and it makes me wonder whether it made any sense to change the selection role from being a honorary position to a paid one.

The World T20 was an apt example of this. Getting in Piyush Chawla, ignoring the likes of Amit Mishra and Virat Kohli, and even Robin Uthappa, were only some of the questionable decisions. Even before that, the Indians had gone into the first Test match against South Africa with one batsman short because the selectors had taken no cognizance of the some of the injuries that the side had, and opted for a back-up wicket-keeper instead.

The selection of the side for the tour of Sri Lanka goes to the other extreme. There is a back-up opener, back-up middle-order batsman and a reserve wicket-keeper in a 16-member squad to play Sri Lanka in three Test matches. On the face of it, the same looks justified. After all, Virender Sehwag has had the worst of the runs in terms of his injuries, while MS Dhoni has had his issues with the back too.

However, sending out a 16-member side effectively means that the selectors are putting the onus of picking the side on the captain and the coach. They seem to be saying that these are the best 16 that we have, now, it is your job to do what you want to do with them. Some questions, though, remain unanswered. And that is because of Srikkanth’s continuing one liner on how he will not take questions on individual selections.

I shall ask nonetheless.

Is there any rationale behind Yuvraj Singh’s axing and subsequent selection?

Some say that the message would have reached an unfit Yuvraj. Is that the point? If he was unfit in the first place, is there any reason for us to believe that he is fit enough to play now? Remember, there were no domestic games that were played by Yuvraj since being dropped from the Indian team for the Asia Cup. And if not, does that mean that a semi-fit Yuvraj is better than some of the other youngsters waiting to be picked in the side? If so, it is a sad commentary of the way things are.

Moving on to the pace department, there are two quickies to assist Zaheer Khan; Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth. Sreesanth was a surprise selection in the home series against Sri Lanka, but a five-wicket haul and the subsequent hamstring injury meant that it would have only needed a doctor’s certificate for his selection to become a foregone selection.

But where does Ishant fit in? He last played in the couple of Tests against South Africa and ended with figures of 3/236 in those couple of Tests. The pace has obviously dropped alarmingly and so has the confidence, and the last thing that Ishant probably needs are the flat tracks of Sri Lanka to disarm him completely.

The selectors may have something good in store for him, but the stake-holders of cricket in this country will never know what, given that the chief of selectors continuously refuses to explain his rationale behind the selection. I am surprised that it is not a big issue yet that Srikkanth does not talk to the media on his individual selections.

India squad for Bangladesh Triseries announced | Tendulkar opts out

India Team for Bangladesh TriSeries announced. Tendulkar opts out, Ishant Sharma dropped, Rohit Sharma and Ashok Dinda are in.

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